bus ride from Paris. I had reservations about going because I knew how sad the story of D Day would be. Bruce really wanted to see Normandy, and it was my Christmas present to him. He loved it!
I must admit, it was very moving. The day started out rainy and about 60 degrees, but by the time we got there, it was sunny, and very windy! The Normandy countryside is beautiful, lush green, and dotted with dairy cattle. The fields evidently have fewer hedgerows than they did in 1944 because there are fewer, but larger farms than at that time. The houses are a very different style than in the South of France....here, they look like their architectural style has much more English influence to my eye. We even saw a thatched roof.
The museum did a great job of telling the story from all sides. It told the story of the war, the French resistance, the extensive preparations, the trickery that might just have made the difference in the Allies winning the war, the troops on all sides, the townspeople, and the story of the extermination of the Jews and Eastern Europeans.
My thoughts on the day were threefold:
1. The bravery of all the men was overwhelming! American, British, Scottish, even Indian men were all involved in the D Day landings. The heroics were unbelievable in the face of strong German fortifications, bunkers, and hidden trench systems. Bravery and heroics everywhere!
2. The massive sacrifice! All involved sacrificed so much! It wasn't just the men of the invasion, the people in the town of Cean, and all of Normandy was bombed extensively. The bomb craters still exist. Lives, property, homes, businesses, livestock...everything was sacrificed!
3. Even though it seems like the Allies would not have won the war without d Day, and even though it is clear that civilization would not exist as it does today without winning the war, the losses of war seem overwhelmingly futile.
The Normandy visit has caused me to read more extensively about the war, the resistance, and the history of the times. Just very sad. It is estimated that overall, 50 million people lost their lives during WW11. So Sad!
The US cemetery and the wall of the names of those missing defines the losses in a very somber and poignant way! The sculpture in the memorial is moving and powerful!
The entire experience elicits thoughts and pondering of the best and worst of humanity.
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